Christmas Service
God, Creator of all life, You made us in your image and sent your Son to be our flesh. Grant us now in this time of his birth, that we, who have been born again through his grace, may daily find all things made new in him. For he lives and reigns with you and the Holy spirit
Amen
Lord, open our minds and hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit, that we may hear and rejoice in the gospel of our saviour's birth, told in story and song this night.
Amen
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks toyou, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets.
You loved the world so much you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Saviour.
As the angels sang glory to you in the highest and peace to your people on earth so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn : Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your Glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. As Mary and Joseph went from Galilee to Bethlehem and there found no room, so Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem and was despised and rejected.
As in the poverty of a stable Jesus was born, so by the baptism of his suffering, death and resurrection you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the spirit.
As your word became flesh, born of a woman, on that night long ago, so on the night in which he gave himself up for us he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said : "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
When supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples and said : "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy spirit on us, gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world and body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever. Amen.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be you name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. (NIV) Matthew 6:9-13
Now, Brothers and Sisters, o in peace and joy to love and serve the Lord. We are sent in the name of the Christ Child. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God! Alleluia!''
Lesson 1 : The prophet Isaiah proclaims good news to the people in exile.
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's handdouble for all her sins. A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a ghighway for our God.Every vallet shall be raised up, every mountain made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has Spoken." A voice says, "Cry out." And i said, "What shall I cry?"
"All men are liek grass and their glory is like the flowers on the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." (NIV) Isaiah 40:1-8
Lesson 2 : Christ's birth and kingdom are foretold by Isaiah.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; o those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. (NIV) Isaiah 9:2
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his Kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (NIV) Isaiah 9:6-7
Lesson 3 : The prophet Micah fortells, the glory of little Bethlehem.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small amongt the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Therefor Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He ill stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace. When the Assyrian invades our land and marches through our fortressesm we will raise him against seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men. (NIV) Micah 5:2-5
Lesson 4 : Matthew tells the birth of Jesus.
(Too long... hand tired...) (NIV) Matthew 1:18-25
Lesson 5 : Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.
Luke 2:1-7
Lesson 6 : John unfolds the great mystery of incarnation
John 1:1-14
Copyright by St James' Church
December 2004
Amen
Lord, open our minds and hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit, that we may hear and rejoice in the gospel of our saviour's birth, told in story and song this night.
Amen
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks toyou, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets.
You loved the world so much you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Saviour.
As the angels sang glory to you in the highest and peace to your people on earth so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn : Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your Glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. As Mary and Joseph went from Galilee to Bethlehem and there found no room, so Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem and was despised and rejected.
As in the poverty of a stable Jesus was born, so by the baptism of his suffering, death and resurrection you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the spirit.
As your word became flesh, born of a woman, on that night long ago, so on the night in which he gave himself up for us he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said : "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
When supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples and said : "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy spirit on us, gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world and body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever. Amen.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be you name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. (NIV) Matthew 6:9-13
Now, Brothers and Sisters, o in peace and joy to love and serve the Lord. We are sent in the name of the Christ Child. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God! Alleluia!''
Lesson 1 : The prophet Isaiah proclaims good news to the people in exile.
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's handdouble for all her sins. A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a ghighway for our God.Every vallet shall be raised up, every mountain made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has Spoken." A voice says, "Cry out." And i said, "What shall I cry?"
"All men are liek grass and their glory is like the flowers on the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." (NIV) Isaiah 40:1-8
Lesson 2 : Christ's birth and kingdom are foretold by Isaiah.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; o those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. (NIV) Isaiah 9:2
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his Kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (NIV) Isaiah 9:6-7
Lesson 3 : The prophet Micah fortells, the glory of little Bethlehem.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small amongt the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Therefor Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He ill stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace. When the Assyrian invades our land and marches through our fortressesm we will raise him against seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men. (NIV) Micah 5:2-5
Lesson 4 : Matthew tells the birth of Jesus.
(Too long... hand tired...) (NIV) Matthew 1:18-25
Lesson 5 : Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.
Luke 2:1-7
Lesson 6 : John unfolds the great mystery of incarnation
John 1:1-14
Copyright by St James' Church
December 2004
1:05 AM